ABBOTTABAD: Overturning the rejection of nomination papers by returning officers, the Abbottabad Election Appellate Tribunal on Monday cleared PTI leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly SpeakerMushtaq Ghani to contest the Feb 8 general elections in two national and provincial assembly constituencies, including NA- 17 and PK-45.

Mr Ghani’s papers were rejected by returning officers for the two constituencies.

Relief for the PTI’s vice-president, who is currently in the United Kingdom, comes from the tribunal headed by Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel.

Mr Ghani moved the tribunal through lawyer Naz Elahi Mughal. He filed nomination papers for NA-17 and PK-45 through his elder brother, Ilyas Ghani, after giving him a power of attorney.

Mr Ilyas was arrested in Abbottabad on the day he filed an appeal against the rejection of his brother’s nomination papers. However, the police freed him after the intervention of three lawyers.

Also in the day, Justice Faheem Wali of the Dera Ismail Khan election tribunal accepted the appeal of former federal minister and PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur against the rejection of the nomination papers for NA-44, PK-112 and PK-113 constituencies.

Those papers were rejected by the returning officers in Dera Ismail Khan district insisting Mr Gandapur has been declared absconder in several criminal cases.

Lawyers Ghulam Mohammad Sappal and Adnan Khan Ghaznikhel appeared for the PTI leader before the one-member tribunal. Mr Ghaznikhel insisted that his client would contest the Feb 8 election in NA-44, PK-112 and PK-113.

Also, an election tribunal in the Mingora area of Swat district on Monday overturned the rejection of the nomination of Saeedullah, father of former federal minister and PTI leader Murad Saeed, for PK-8 constituency by the returning officer.

Also, Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar of the tribunal directed Mr Murad to appear before him against the rejection of his nomination for NA-4.

The PTI’s Swat chapter said Mr Murad submitted his nomination papers for NA-4 to the returning officer through his lawyer, while his father, Saeedullah, filed his nomination papers for PK-8. They were rejected by the returning officers.

Also, nomination papers of 84 PTI candidates were also rejected by the relevant returning officers in Malakand Division.

However, the candidates formally approached the election tribunal in Mingora that accepted appeals against the rejection of around 60 nomination papers on Jan 5.

All other pleas were scheduled to be heard on Jan 8.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024